Empowerment
By Modupe Adeloye
Ibadan, Sept. 25, 2018 (NAN) No fewer than 25 unemployed youths in Ibadan on Tuesday graduated after a six-week Total Nigeria-sponsored entrepreneurship and skills acquisition.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beneficiaries were selected from Olorunsogo-Agbatan community in Felele area of Ibadan.
The training was in partnership with an NGO, ISURA empowerment entrepreneurship management in Ibadan.
The beneficiaries were trained in five different vocational skills which include fashion design, bead and jewellery making, mobile phones repairs, solar energy production and installation and tie and dye making.
Speaking at the event, Mr Vincent Nnadi, the General Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Total Upstream, said Total was committed to empowering many youths through capacity development initiatives.
According to him, empowering the youth through “Totalpreneur” is in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals number one and eight which highlights poverty, decent work, and economic growth.
“With Nigeria being home to the highest number of people living below the poverty line, this need has even become more urgent.”
Represented by the Corporate Affairs Manager, Mrs Chinwe ifejika, Nnadi said the company will continue to partner with NGOs and other agencies and companies toward the realisation of Total’s CSR objectives.
“In this instance, we are collaborating with Insura Enterprises to organise this youth empowerment programme targeted at indigenes and residents of Southwest region.
“Today we are proud to see that 25 young people have completed the six-week intensive training and are ready to go out and change the economic landscape of our society, ” he said.
He said the beneficiaries would be given equipment that will help them to start their businesses.
“We believe that this is the first step to self sufficiency that will lead to employment generation and wealth creation,” he said.
The CEO, ISURA, Mrs Efe Fagbeja, said empowering young people with the training would reduce poverty among the youth.
She said beneficiaries which are between the ages of 22 to 35 male and females were selected and recommended by their community leaders and were screened for the six weeks programme.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr Abayomi Oke, described the small and medium scale entrepreneurs as the drivers of the economy.
While commending the gestures by Total, he said governments both federal and state have continue to concentrate on the small and medium scale entrepreneurs in order to empower the younger ones.
He said the state government’s youth empowerment programme — “Ajimose entrepreneur training programme” in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria and funded by the Bank of Industry was designed to take off employable youths from the streets.
The beneficiaries, who who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) thanked Totalpreneur for the programme.
For Ambali Bilikis, a fashion designer, and Adegoke Fiyinfoluwa, a phone repair, they promised to put the acquired skills to good use and boost the economy of the state. (NAN)
MAM/DA
Editing by Dele Akinsola
